Farmers, Forgotten Harvest feed the poor

Photo by Tom Watts
Ryan Rowinski, farm produce manager for Forgotten Harvest, said they harvested more than 500,000 pounds of food at four farms, whose owners donated their land, in Ray Township, Shelby Township and Richmond.

Farms feed the world, but three Macomb County farmers are making it possible for the fruits and vegetables harvested on their donated land to go directly to feed needy people.

Umberto Guidi and Giuseppe Sepienza of Ray Township donated 12 acres of land to Forgotten Harvest of Oak Park earlier this year, and on Friday bushels of fruits and vegetables were picked, loaded and headed for distribution to people who need food.

“What we did in two hours today will feed a lot of people after a bad year of drought,” said Ryan Rowinski, farm produce manager for Forgotten Harvest, noting the harvested fruits and vegetables on Friday were destined for the nonprofit’s distribution warehouse in Southfield.

“Things are falling into place for our last pick of the year,” said Rowinski, referring to the Harvest for Hunger Program that is aimed at providing fruits and vegetables to folks who are struggling and need food to survive.

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Rowinski is working with area farmers to rescue food already harvested and also doing the farming himself on acreage that is not currently in use by landowners, but still ideal for farming.

“Today is as good as it gets,” Rowinski said Friday as 65 volunteers from the GM Tech Center in Warren donated their time and labor to help harvest vegetables like potatoes, cucumbers and yellow squash.

“We could not do this without volunteers, and these great farmers who are donating their land for us to grow fruits and vegetables,” he said. “I expected three or four harvests, but we ended up getting six or seven harvests out of this land (in Ray Township).”

Paul Vermeesch is a longtime Richmond dairy farmer who allowed Forgotten Harvest to till some of his property in Casco Township that will ultimate feed people in the community.

Forgotten Harvest teamed with Vermeesch and his much-needed farming equipment to grow sweet corn on Vermeesch’s property that will go specifically to help feed the hungry.

“Paul has been such an outstanding donor to Forgotten Harvest,” Rowinski said. “He’s great.”

Also, Ron and Theresa Ercolani of Shelby Township donated two acres to Forgotten Harvest where the harvest included watermelon, squash and collard greens.

Rowinski said Friday that Forgotten Harvest harvested more than 500,000 pounds of food at four locations, which also included a farm in Davisburg in Oakland County.

“Today put us over that 500,000 mark,” he said Friday.

Rowinski said the pilot program “covers about 37 acres of land donated by farmers and landowners.” He noted all four donated fields have been harvested and produced cantaloupe, watermelon, sweet corn, summer squash, potatoes, zucchini and collard greens.

“It’s a perfect solution because we’re not spending any more money to produce any new food,” he said.

At the Ray Township site on 17000 29 Mile Road, Rowinski said he was able to raise some money and find some used farming equipment that is now being used on the site that grew zucchini, summer squash, potatoes, cucumbers and cantaloupe.

“This pilot gives us a centralized farming model where we run everything on site,” he said.

“Previously it was just old grassland and pasture that was not being used. Now it is land that is giving back to the community.”

At Abella Farms at 5595 Auburn Road in Shelby Township, two acres were used behind the granite business owned by Ron and Theresa Ercolani.

“This pilot emphasizes the role of a private landowner who is not actively farming land but has an interest in helping the community, said Rowinski, noting that Ercolani also donated the water to irrigate the land.

Still, the need for volunteers remains through the end of the harvesting season. Groups of 20-50 people are needed weekly for fall harvests.

For more information, call 248-214-0924 or visit www.forgottenharvest.org.